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13/06/2008

Photos included inside the double LP The Legends Of Rock, MCA CORAL COPS 6292/1-2 (D), Germany, 1973.***The story of RATC: this CD features a bunch of practically all the studio & live recordings cut by Bill Haley.***Previously announced for release in summer 2004 instead of 2006 (30/10) because of the (C)s/licenses of certain cover songs featured on the second disc including i.a. Pat Boone; Freddy Cannon; Chubby Checker; Harry Nilsson; Sonny Dae (first time on LP: LP "Rockaphilly": Roller Coaster 2001, 1978-first time on CD: Varese Fontana, 27 April 2004 [Rock & Roll/The First 50 Years: The 50s-track 26); The Deep River Boys, Phil Flowers, Ted Herold, Lee Jackson, Jimmy De Knight, Buddy Knox, Carl Perkins, The Isley Brothers, Dinah Lee and, Mae West (both female cover songs)...***Admittedly, there could be a third CD and many others containing other rarest versions as well as those presented here...Maybe in 2015, Klaus?***Haley fans: buy this 2 CD box set!***Hydra Records BCK 27128-1.5 (and the other ones too)***Succinct RATC story of the 2nd take (no more than 2):***Written and composed in November 1952 in Philadelphia, Pa. by Jimmy De Knight (alias James E. Myers) and "freelance" composer Max C. Freedman.***First recorded circa October 1953 by Sonny Dae and His Knights in Philadelphia and released by tiny label ARCADE (45-AR-123), owned by Jack Howard (Bb r&b revue, 20 March 1954).***Has anybody ever seen a stock disc or a DJ copy in Europe?***Dae's o.v. sold thousand RATC in the Delaware Valley but did not chart nationally because the tiny label had no national distribution.***Finally recorded by Bill Haley And His Comets at Pythian Temple (a one-time dance club converted into a studio /(an opium-smoker's dream: at what time???) located at 135, West 70th Street, New York City this 12 April 1954, released by DECCA (Personality Series) and produced by Milt Gabler (29124 [78 RPM] on 10 May 1954, "Fox Trot/Vocal Chorus by Bill Haley" (who was late) as beeing a fox trot seeing they didn't know how to call this music.***RATC entered the US BB chart at #23 Pop on 29 May 1954.***Also issued in Belgium on OMEGA (78 & 45 RPM featuring on the B-side "Pinball Boogie" by Red Foley at the same time (see other article). The next year RATC was used as the movie theme for the Blackboard Jungle film (premiere in NYC on 19 March 1955).***DECCA re-released RATC on 28 May 1955 (9-29124 [+ 1954-same reference]). It reached BB US R&B #3 then crossed over at Pop #1 on 9 July 1955.***Reissued in Belgium on DECCA also at the same time.***RATC in the US (A.C.T.: coast to coast, under control, accepted by all) & in the UK (in the early 70s under control of Scotland Yard: info from Belgian Press at the time of the brand new Belgian Wallonie Top 30 in 1973-eaoe)***Official Charts (American Chart Toppers (Top 100) / British Chart Toppers (Top 20) both launched on 1st January 1955.***1) enters the A.C.T. on 21/05/1955 topping on 9/07/1955 for 8 weeks; 2) enters the B.C.T. on 7/01/1955 reaching #17 two weeks later, re-enters on 14/10/1955 topping on 25/11/1955 for 11 weeks then re-enters once again on 21/09/1956 peaking at #5 a few weeks later.***Also B.C.T.'s #25 in January 1957 dropping out for a week before making its fifth and final re-entry on Columbia/Brunswick at #22.***Source: Rock File no 4 - Panther Books Ltd., Great Britain, 1st Pub. 1976.***Nota: when Bill Haley added the song to the band's repertoire in the summer (late September) of 1953 (Bill Haley With Bill Haley's Comets), during a stand in the Southern New Jersey beach resort of Wildwood-by-the-Sea at the HOTEL HOFBRAU (as seen on an image) ( [HofBrau?: curious spelling!], RATC became a big crowd pleaser.***Hofbräu means Court brew.***According to most estimates, RATC has sold well over one hundred million copies to date.***What Was The First Rock And Roll Record? (US 1992 sources from i.a. The Rockin' Fifties. Jersey City: Da Capo Press, 1987 and John Swenson. Bill Haley. London: W.H. Allen & Co., 1982): RATC!!!